With the introduction of the first Grand Cherokee, Jeep defined and created the luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) market, but in spite of this grand tradition the model is currently experiencing some difficulties. Jeep not only defined what an SUV was, it was the SUV market in the USA with the inception of the Cherokee and later on Grand Cherokee. This is no longer the case. The growing list of strong competition has intensified, and along with high fuel prices, this has lead to some serious challenges to Chrysler in spite of Jeep's combination of legendary 4x4 capabilities, on and off-road refinements, and technological innovations.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee was one of the pioneering SUVs that ushered in the modern SUV market in the early 1990s. When it debuted, the Grand Cherokee represented a bigger and more refined version of Jeep's smaller but popular Cherokee. The company's designers wanted the Grand Cherokee it to be maneuverable enough for city driving, roomy enough for the whole family, stylish enough to take out on the town and rugged enough to reach those remote camping areas. The Grand Cherokee certainly met all of these requirements and, we feel that Jeep continues with this tradition in its current Grand Cherokee version.